Gamer Within: A Bird's Eye View
by Sanne-chan
Summary: We know how Alex feels, but what does Crow think about their adventures? Relive ‘Gamer Within’ through the eyes of this troubled minion and read his thoughts about life, death, and a certain loudmouthed intruder who just can’t seem to give him a break.
1. Honor

**A/N:** I had this idea for a while and after some other people suggested it as well, I decided to go through with it. A rewrite of "Gamer Within" from Crow's point of view! Alex is not afraid to voice her opinion, but what does our favorite avian demon think about their little predicament? Hereby I give you a deeper look in the mind of this troubled minion and his thoughts about life, death, loyalty and certain loudmouthed intruders who just don't seem to give him a break. Knock yourself out, but be warned: this story is considerably darker than its counterpart and it's labeled 'angst' for a reason.

Updates for this one will be slower and irregular, because it's more of a side project while my main focus rests on finishing "Gamer Within" and writing the sequel once it's done. Thanks Voration for the title!

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**Chapter 1: ****Honor**

A foolish Persian Prince and a bumbling girl from another world. These were the enemies of the Empress of Time and we were to eliminate them at all costs.

I had faced intruders before: bold treasure hunters out for riches and glory, or curious but naive explorers that sought the truth behind the ancient myths and folklore that surrounded the Island of Time. Few of them made it past the Keeper guards, and if they did, it was only to meet their demise at my hands instead.

Yes, I had fought and defeated many invaders, but none of them were quite as… fascinating as this strange duo.

The Prince was truly a master swordsman whom had earned my respect. The Keepers that opposed him were easily disposed of and not even the stronger Raiders, cunning Blade Dancers or lightning fast Silhouettes were a match for his blade.

The girl… well, I had never seen anyone, human or sand creature, have so much luck to the point where it was almost ridiculous. Even more curious was the fact that she was actually one of us. A creature of the sands! Never before had I seen one from outside the Island of Time, and this one had been born a human! It was mind-boggling and I suspected there was a lot more to the loudmouthed girl than first met the eye.

My first encounter was with the royal. I had been summoned from the Garden Tower to guard the Fortress Entrance. Shahdee, the Empress' right-hand, had telepathically commanded me to do so. She and her mistress were the only ones able to establish such a connection, and thus I was unable to report my failure when the Prince struck me down with his sword.

Words could not describe the sheer shock and bewilderment I experienced as I got very first bitter taste of defeat. Wounded, weakened and with shattered pride, I made my retreat to the Garden Tower where I regained my strength and silently vowed that the next time we did battle, victory would be mine.

Shortly after, the Empress contacted me with a warning. I was the guardian of the tower and it was my duty to rid it of any intruders. I first thought I was going to be presented with a second chance, but rather than the Prince himself, she told me a strange girl had somehow appeared and was now making her way to my territory.

To gain her trust and that of her royal companion, my mistress had given her a disguise that would led her to falsely believe her presence would not be detected. However, the fabric was thin and, as the sun began to set, would quickly fail to hide her true identity. The Empress had made sure of that.

I could not answer, but she knew I had heard her and would obey her every command. All of us did.

I waited patiently for the sun to set, and as the sky finally began to color in red and orange hues, I called a flock of birds and send them out to scout the area. They were under my control and did not hesitate to follow my orders. With a loud screech, they flew off and spread across the Tower.

It did not take them long to return: one of them had been killed, but the others fortunately had managed to flee and report back to me. Images of what they had seen flooded my mind, and I was pleased to learn the intruder was close by.

I moved to the edge of the platform I was on and looked down, my eyes scanning for her presence. Suddenly I spotted her, clumsily trying to climb up a ladder. The girl seemed nervous, as if she knew I was watching from above, carefully observing her every move.

However, the bumbling female was not the only thing that caught my eye. A few platforms up, I saw a group of Raiders, Keepers and Blade Dancers hiding in the shadows, under the command of a single Silhouette. Though the idea of an ambush was an effective one, I did not entirely agree with their course of action. The girl would be outnumbered twenty to one and there would be no honor in her demise. I do not know if the Empress had meant to or if it was simply a flaw in my design, but I had been created with a warrior's spirit and would not stand for such a cowardly act.

The intruder slowly made her way up a niche, landed on the platform and did the most peculiar victory dance I had ever seen. However, her triumphant expression quickly fell when the Silhouette made its presence known. I could see her feverishly thinking and knew the penny had dropped when she glanced at her glowing stomach and the blood visibly drained from her face. The minute she realized her cover had been compromised, the others emerged from the shadows and began to advance on her trembling form.

I knew very well what was about to happen. The girl would perish, but her end would not be clean and swift. Especially the Keepers were vicious creatures, their methods brutal and their weapons blunt. To say I had pity on her would be a lie, but I personally found little enjoyment in making a doomed opponent suffer before death.

I silently descended from my post and touched down behind the girl. I could see her twitch slightly, indicating that she had heard me land. However, she did not turn around to investigate, not daring to take her eyes off the threat in front of her.

"S-stay back! I'm dangerous!" she yelled, but her voice was shaky and unconvincing.

"I'm not here to hurt you," one of the Blade Dancers cooed, but the girl was not that easily fooled.

"Watch it lady!" she warned, making threatening hand gestures in an attempt to intimidate the deadly woman. "I'm a gamer on the edge! I could snap at any moment and you seriously do NOT want to be near me when that happens!"

The others were not impressed and continued to stalk closer to the terrified girl, driving her backwards and even closer to her death at my blade.

"She's no match for me!" a Raider boasted, but rather than begging for mercy, the female made one last defiant attempt to scare her assaulters off.

"Oh y-yeah?!" she blurted out while I quietly reached for my weapon. This had gone on long enough and I would be doing the intruder a favor by sparing her from their brutal onslaught. "Well, I-I'm s-stronger than I look! I could totally beat up…eh…eh… THAT guy!"

My hand halted near the handle of my sword, all of us surprised by her bold claim. I quickly realized she had not seen me and thus pointed me out at random, most likely thinking I was just another Raider or Keeper. However, the others were still clearly impressed by her statement and backed off, striking worry into the girl's heart. Though I knew it had not been her intention to do battle with me, I decided to go along and grant the intruder a chance to defend herself. It should not take long…

I immediately felt her tense up as I put a hand on her shoulder and spoke for the first time since I had arrived on the scene.

"Rise up, girl," I warned the female. "I accept your challenge!"

Startled, the girl whirled around and a mix of fear and, oddly, recognition flashed across her face. It was almost as if she had seen me before and her memories were telling her to be wary of my presence. A Seer perhaps?

I awaited a reply, but her mind had gone completely blank and she just stared at me with wide, fearful eyes.

"I accept your challenge," I repeated and the girl suddenly snapped out of her initial shock.

With a startled squeak, she pulled away from my grasp and stumbled backward, accidentally bumping into one of the Keepers. He tried to strike at her, but the female was quick to dodge and the attack almost beheaded one of the Blade Dancers instead.

"Watch it, you idiot!" she yelled and tried to retaliate, elbowing a Raider in the process. Chaos quickly ensued and I was forced to intervene before the Silhouette lost its temper and killed us all.

"Stop fighting each other like children and save your energy for the Prince!" I snapped and fortunately, this seemed to calm them down. The Silhouette was still glaring at the girl, who put her hands on her hips and glared back at the shadowy demon.

"Hey!" she protested, insulted. "What did I do?!"

"You invaded our island," I helped jog her memory and a sweatdrop appeared on her temple.

I drew my blade and her face paled while she furrowed her brown as if lost in deep thought. Her mouth opened and I waited patiently, curious if she perhaps had any last words.

"Hair!"

Well, that was… most unusual…

I shook my head and raised my blade, poised to strike and finally end this foolish standoff.

"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!!!" she panicked at the very last second. "We can't fight here! It's eh… eh… too crowded!"

I looked around and realized the girl was right. Counting us, there were 22 people on this small platform and it would be extremely difficult to move around.

"Indeed," I nodded, lowering my weapon. "Our current location is not suitable for battle."

The intruder looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Then, hope lit up in her eyes and she turned to me with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Yeah, but what can you do about it, right?" she apologized while slowly trying to back away. "Guess I had better get back on my way and…"

I thought not.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" she shrieked as I grabbed her waist and took off into the sky. "PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU FREAKIN' PSYCHO! AMBER ALERT!!! AMBER ALERT!!!"

I clenched my teeth in agony and fought to stay focused and, most importantly, airborne. Unfathomable! How in Empress' name could such a small and frail creature bring forth such _noise_?! Unable to bear it any longer, I quickly landed and dropped the girl rather ungracefully onto the large terrace I had brought us to.

The others had remained on the smaller platform and were laughing hysterically at the display. The girl on the other hand was not amused and I could see anger flash briefly in her eyes. I was surprised to no longer detect any fear in them and wondered if perhaps I would have my desired glorious battle after all.

"Get back on your feet girl," I urged her. "I want to win with honor!"

I was mildly disappointed when terror returned in her gaze and with a startled yelp, she rolled away from my blade and continued to do everything in her power to stay out of my reach.

I continued to lash out at her with my sword, but the female had the advantage of agility and evaded every blow. I pretended to strike her leg, but changed the trajectory of my blade at the very last second and aimed at her neck instead. However, with lightning speed, she brought up her dagger and blocked my attack. The girl seemed perhaps even more surprised by her abilities than I was, but was quick to adapt to her apparently newfound skill.

Unfortunately for the intruder though, my stamina was far superior to hers. She seemed to realize this as well and, as most intruders had done seconds before meeting their fate at my hands, dropped her defenses and went for broke.

With a loud battle cry and a fire in her eyes I had not seen before, she raised her small dagger above her head and charged at me with breakneck speed.

I sighed at her poorly executed attempt to strike my chest and grabbed her arm, using the girl's own momentum against her. With a pained cry, she plowed into a wall and slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"You're going to have to try harder if you hope to best me," I berated her first brave, yet pathetic attempt to attack.

I had not expect her to be able to get up, but the girl was much more persistent than I had given her credit for. She was injured and knew very well she did not stand a chance. Yet, she refused to give up and send me an angry glare, as if trying to tell me our battle had only just begun. However, it was obvious that she was in great pain and struggling to just stay on her feet. Why she was still determined to resist was beyond me, but I had seen enough. This fight was over.

I gathered every bit of energy I had and focused it in one single finishing strike. I charged at her and struck, but blinked in surprise when I heard my blade clashing with her own. She had blocked my attack! But the girl was injured! Weakened! Without hope! Where in Empress' name had she found the physical, let alone mental strength to do this?! It was hard to believe at first, but as the girl gritted her teeth and tried to push me back, I briefly wondered if perhaps the outcome of our battle had indeed been far from decided.

Very, very briefly.

The intruder gasped as I put more force behind my blade and slowly but surely, gained the upper hand. I could see panic creeping into her eyes as she began to realize her end was near, but strangely she had yet to admit defeat. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled up and a most peculiar evil smile appeared on her face, as if she had a dark secret she refused to share.

"I know this is kinda low," she started sheepishly, as if apologizing for something in advance, "but seeing how your weapon is at least three times bigger and sharper than mine, I think I'm entitled to at least one dirty trick."

Before I had a chance to think about her curious statement, she suddenly brought up her knee and I found myself utterly paralyzed and lost in a world of unimaginable pain. In a reflex I doubled over, completely taken by surprise. Now that I was down at her level, the girl seized the brief window of opportunity and grabbed my shoulders.

I immediately knew what she was about to do, seeing as the Prince of Persia had used the very same strategy to defeat me at the Fortress entrance. She pushed down and jumped in an attempt to vault over my stunned form, but as she was in the middle of a handstand on my shoulders, I quickly recovered and shot up, successfully thwarting her plans.

Her hands slipped and the girl lost her balance. With a startled shriek, she fell down, but somehow managed to grab my head and now clung to my back, her legs wrapped tightly around my arms.

I had been caught.

The other sand creatures rolled on the ground and howled with laughter as I spun in circles, furiously struggling to free my trapped limbs.

"Eat dagger, big bird!" the girl yelled defiantly as she briefly weakened her hold to grab her weapon. I used the opportunity to sharply jab her with my right shoulder, causing her to startle and release the blade, which skidded across the terrace and fell over the edge, plummeting into the abyss below.

The laughter increased tenfold as the girl panicked and latched onto me again, this time seizing me by the neck instead.

"Release me now, you little nuisance!" I yelled in outrage as the pressure on my windpipe increased and I slowly but surely began to run out of air.

"Hell no!" she protested loudly. "Just what would happen if I let go, huh?"

"You will not leave this Island alive!" I vowed angrily, and she arched an eyebrow at this.

"You know," she started, her attention slipping away from maintaining her stranglehold, "You could at least try to lure me into a false sense of securi… EEEEEEEK!!!"

Her lapse in concentration cost the girl dearly. I managed to free one of my arms and grabbed those of the little menace that stuck to my back like a leech. Using more force than I had intended, I vented my frustration by throwing the intruder over my shoulder and flinging her into the wall for a second time. This time, however, the impact had been far more violent. Her body slammed into the stone surface and left a cracked dent as it slid down to the ground. For a few seconds, I was not even sure the girl had survived.

"Unfortunate that you have fallen so easily," I said smugly to her fallen form, claiming my victory. Imagine my complete and utter bewilderment when the female cracked one eye open and somehow even found the energy to smile.

"H-hey," she uttered weakly, mocking the Blade Dancers who's attire she had been using as a disguise. "D-don't you k-know not to s-strike a w-woman?"

I was stunned when I noticed the intruder was still moving and nearly dropped my blade in shock as she stubbornly attempted to get back on her feet… and succeeded.

"Stand tall, human!" one of the Raiders jeered, obviously amused by her foolish refusal to stay down. The girl suddenly closed her eyes shut and her legs began to wobble as she fought to keep her balance. Before I even realized it, I had shot forward and caught her upper arm, firmly putting her back on her feet.

In any other case, I would have struck the intruder down and delivered a merciless finishing blow. But her mental strength and seemingly endless determination to live intrigued me, and I was curious to see how much longer she could last on sheer willpower alone.

The girl recovered at an amazing rate and once she was stable, I released my hold and turned around, jamming my sword into a wall, next to a narrow ledge. Though hand-to-hand combat was not one of my strong suits, there was not a weapons rack in sight and I would not stoop as low as to use my blade against an unarmed enemy.

"Let us continue this," I beckoned her, "I'm not finished yet."

The girl gulped, but nodded and shakily got into a fighting stance. Suddenly, our attention was drawn by a startled cry and a loud roar that neither of us had produced. We both turned our heads to the smaller platform and our gaze fell on the most monstrous and vile creature I had ever laid eyes on.

The black demon was easily twice my height and its presence seemed to drain the environment of its color. Jagged tendrils sprouted from its abdomen, seizing an unfortunate Blade Dancer and pulling her into the dark void that surrounded its demonic form. The others furiously attacked the beast, but their weapons seemed incapable of harming it, and one by one they met the same cruel fate.

I turned to the girl, wondering why she had yet to panic, but strangely she seemed more annoyed than afraid.

"Hey buddy!" she shouted at the creature, drawing his attention. "In case you haven't noticed, Prince isn't here! We split up, okay? Go play in the Clock Tower or something!"

The black demon let out a roar and as a creature created from the mystic sands themselves, I was somehow able to understand the furious growls that seemed to be directed at the intruder. This did not bode well.

"It appears he is interested in you," I told the girl who then looked at me as if my head was engulfed in flames.

"Me?! Oh, no, no, no!" she quickly protested as if I had been the one to send the beast after her. "Prince is the one who screwed around with the Hourglass! I didn't even touch the damn thing!"

I had no idea what she was talking about, but the girl seemed to have lost all interest in our battle and kept staring at the hideous creature as it slaughtered the rest of the Empress' soldiers. I will admit the sight was quite disturbing, but I could not be bothered with their demise. Flying to their aid would mean allowing the intruder to escape, and I knew her elimination was of higher importance to the Empress than saving the lives of these lower-class subordinates. They were unintelligent, plentiful and above all… expendable.

"He…he's not leaving… is he…?" the female stammered, clearly in a state of shock. "Back at the Palace… he wasn't after Prince… he was after me! I don't belong here…"

"Indeed you do not," I nodded and prepared to resume our battle, but she ignored me and had probably not even heard my words.

The beast suddenly growled as it flung the last Keeper off the platform and leaped towards our terrace. The girl cried out from fear and attempted to get away, but I swiftly seized her arm and kept her in place. Oh no, little one… you were bold enough to enter the Garden Tower and challenge its guardian, and now you shall have face the consequences of your foolish actions.

I pushed the frightened female behind me and glared at the black demon.

"Stand back," I warned the menacing creature. "I will not allow you to kill the girl. The intruder has challenged me and she will die by my hand alone. Do not interrupt us."

I heard a thud as if she had fallen over, put paid it no heed. The beast looked at me curiously, them let out a loud rumbling sound. It took me a few seconds to realize it was laughing at my threat. How dared it!

I balled my fists and prepared to do battle, but without warning, the demon shot out black tentacles that seized my waist and hoisted me off the ground. I struggled to free myself, but the creature was far too powerful and cackled madly as it started pulling me in.

Realizing that the odds were far from being in my favor, I tried several times to transform into my avian form, but the beast's dark aura somehow prevented me from doing so. I grabbed the jagged tendril and fruitlessly tried to break its grasp, but to no avail. If only I had my blade!

From the corner of my eye, I could see the girl making her way up the wall. She climbed onto the narrow ledge and stopped to eye my sword, as if pondering to take it for herself. I did not blame her: had the tables been turned, I would most likely have done the same. Keep Kerena close to you, little one… For though I may have fallen, others will soon rise to take my place.

As if having heard my silent approval, she grabbed the weapon and yanked it out of the wall. What the intruder did next though, was entirely unexpected.

"CATCH!!!"

It felt as if time itself had crawled to a near halt. The girl looked at me and suddenly flung the blade in my direction. She did not even wait to see if I had caught it, but immediately bolted up the wall and fled, desperate to get away from both me and the hideous creature that seemed to be hunting her.

Why had she done it? What in Empress' name had possessed her to take such a large and unnecessary risk? Did she have pity on me? Why show compassion to someone who's sole desire was to take your life? Perhaps… perhaps the girl did have a sense of honor. A slumbering warrior's spirit which had briefly awoken and decided to aid me so we could finish our battle, rather than stealing my blade and leaving me at the mercy of this demonic beast.

I was in her debt…

"You shall not claim me this day, foul creature!" I declared as I used my sword to slash through the dark tendrils and cut myself loose.

The beast howled in pain and furiously lashed its severed tentacle while I successfully shape shifted into my avian form and flew away, trying to track down the girl. She was severely weakened and could not have gotten very far.

I scouted the area, looking for any signs of the intruder whom I now owed a life debt which I sought to repay. Suddenly, a panicked cry for help (followed by something that sounded like the shrieks and wails of an animal being skinned alive) reached my ears and I quickly flew towards the origin of the noise. The beast had followed the girl as well and held her captive in its dark tentacles. I wasted no time and rushed to her aid, cutting through the tendrils with my blade. With a startled shriek she plummeted into the darkness of the chasm below, but I quickly dived after her and managed to catch the girl before she fell to her death.

"A life for a life," I explained my actions to the dazed female, who closed her tired eyes and lost consciousness in my arms.

This… was the beginning or a most curious chain of events indeed.


	2. Compromise

**A/N:**I added another chapter to Gamer Within and had a enough writing energy left to pump out another installment for this one. Enjoy!

**P.S.** It took me thirty chapters, plus one for this story, to realize I had for some reason written 'Water Tower' instead of 'Garden Tower'. D-OH!!! It took me a while, but it's been fixed now ;)

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**Chapter 2: Compromise**

Still carrying the unconscious female in my arms, I dodged the creature's lashing tendrils and flew away as fast as I could. Unfortunately, the added weight slowed me down and made it harder to keep my balance. The beast growled furiously and followed in hot pursuit, determined to reclaim its prey. I silently envied the graceful Blade Dancers for their agility as I attempted to sharply round a corner and failed, crashing right into a wall. I was grateful the girl was out cold, or she'd most likely kill herself laughing before I had a chance to resume our battle.

I heard the demon's heavy footsteps coming closer and seeing no other way out, I leaped up the wall, landing on a grassy platform. I feverishly looked around, but it seemed like I had run into a dead end. The only way onward was a Portal Room, which was blocked by a waterfall we were unable to cross. From the moment of our creation, all of the Empress' soldiers were embedded with an instinctive aversion to water. A single drop would make us shriek in pain and larger quantities were lethal… Or so the Empress had said. I had yet to try it for myself, but was not very eager to defy her warning.

The environment began to lose its color and I quickly placed the intruder on the ground, lied down next to her and hoped against all hope that the creature would not look for us here.

"Ugh…"

A small groan alerted me that the girl was slowly regaining consciousness. Obviously not yet fully aware of her surroundings, the female rolled towards me on her side, her face so close to mine I could feel her breath on my skin. Before I could move away, the intruder's eyes opened and her pupils turned to pinpricks when realization finally dawned. The girl opened her mouth to scream, but I reacted swiftly and managed to muffle her startled yelp. I motioned her to be silent and pointed down in the direction of the beast. When she seemed to have calmed down somewhat, I withdrew my hand from my face, allowing the girl to roll towards the edge of the platform and see the demon for herself.

She quietly stayed there for a while, then rolled back to me and laid down on her stomach with considerably less blood in her face. I could tell the girl was very uncomfortable in my presence, but apparently I was considered the lesser of two evils.

I looked up at the sky, trying to think of a way to escape this deathtrap. There was always a chance the demon would give up and leave, but when it came to my survival, I'd rather took matters into my own hands. It seemed like the female was thinking along the same ways, as my attention was drawn to the sound of her slowly shuffling towards the Portal Room. Seeing as I still owed the intruder my life, I quickly seized her ankle, stopping her in her tracks.

"Can't you bug me somewhere else?" she whispered, annoyed. "Like, on the OTHER side of that curtain?!"

"The water harms us," I warned the once human girl. She had been turned into a creature of the sands, but apparently lacked our instincts.

"Yeah, well so will _he_!" she hissed, nodding towards the edge of the platform. "Besides that, I've walked through one of those waterfalls before and I'm fine! Now, lemme go!"

The female was obviously bluffing. There was no way she could have survived such an act. Yet, she looked determined to reach the watery curtain, forcefully tugging her ankle in an attempt to free herself from my grasp. Was the girl really that desperate? Surely not all hope was lost, for the beast had yet to discover our location. To take one's demise into their own hands was somewhat understandable when being chased by such a monstrous demon, but the female was acting rather rash, panic and terror seeming to have clouded her judgment. I could not let her follow through.

"As long as you are not out of danger, my debt has not been repaid," I calmly told her as she continued to struggle. "I will not allow you to commit suicide."

The girl's eyes widened, a look of utter disbelieve on her face. Before I could stop her, she opened her mouth and shrieked: "AND _THIS_ IS YOUR IDEA OF 'SAFE'?!"

Startled, I let go of her ankle, a split second before a black tendril shot up trough the grass and a triumphant roar reached our ears.

"You…" I growled angry, very much tempted to forget my sense of honor and strangle the female where she stood. The girl, however, had already bolted and was heading for the Portal Room.

"Save the death glares and run!" she yelped as the menacing beast leaped onto our platform, it's haunting white eyes flashing hungrily.

The girl made a mad dash for the waterfall and, to my utter shock, dived through without a single sign of injury. I would not have believed it, had I not witnessed it with my own eyes. She was unscathed? The Empress had lied to us?! Seeing I had nothing to lose, I made my way towards her and hesitantly reached for the watery curtain. The minute the liquid barrier brushed my skin, I pulled back, howling in pain. I grasped my hurting hand, managing to catch a brief glimpse of the small burns I had acquired before the damaged tissue regenerated itself. Though the pain had been excruciating, the wound had only been superficial and healed almost instantly. Unfortunately, it had been caused by only a small drop of water. If I attempted to fully pass through the waterfall, I would most likely not survive.

I looked back at the girl and as our eyes met, I could see guilt reflecting in hers. She had not known I did not share her strange immunity. Suddenly, an idea seemed to strike her because her eyes widened slightly and she looked at me with rekindled hope.

"Turn into a flock of crows!" she shouted, insulting me by apparently thinking I had not considered that option myself.

"A waste of energy," I glared at the foolish intruder. "He will just seize them with those tendrils."

"Birds have a wax-like coating on their feathers! You might be able to pass through the water that way!" she kept insisting, nervously eyeing the dark cloud that was forming around the demon behind me. "Now hurry up, dammit!"

_That_, I had not thought of. The idea was so ridiculous and far fetched it could not possibly work. Yet, I could not help but wonder… what if it _did_?

Failing to come up with a more plausible method of escape, I raised my arms and summoned the mystic energies that lay dormant within the very core of my being. In a flurry of feathers and sand, I transformed into my avian form and flew through the watery curtain at breakneck speed, barely escaping the demon's dark clutches.

I crashed rather ungracefully onto the stroke of red carpet that led towards the Time Portal. The girl's plan had worked: I had successfully managed to cross the liquid barrier that now shielded us from the beast. Unfortunately, I had not came out entirely unscratched: though I wasn't seriously injured, I still felt weak, disorientated, and it took me well over twenty seconds to regain my bearings.

Suddenly, the demon let out a furious growl that made me jump and send the intruder scrambling behind a pillar. I returned my gaze to the waterfall, quietly musing over the events that had just come to pass. The creature had given up and disappeared into a dark cloud of smoke, the girl now safe once more. The female had saved my life and I had successfully returned the favor.

I was no longer in her debt…

"Uhm, thanks for the rescue, but… I'm gonna leave now, okay?" I heard her announce meekly, her voice followed by the sound of footsteps moving away from me. I swiftly turned around and grabbed the girl by the collar of her top before she could set foot on the platform.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked the startled female.

"Back to the future, laddie… ACK!"

She yelped when I dismissed her attempt at witty banter and flung her away from the Portal. If I had given the intruder hope of being granted mercy, I made sure it had now been dashed. I was eager to continue what we had started earlier, and was not in the mood for foolish games.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" she shrieked, bolting up a pillar where apparently she believed she would be safely out of my reach. I was quick to prove her wrong and two seconds later, the female was back on the floor again… face down.

"Rise up, girl," I commanded her, growing tired of her futile attempts to delay the inevitable. "Let us finish this."

The girl finally seemed to realize I had no intention of sparing her. She quickly rolled away and jumped to her feet, assuming a defensive stance.

"Whoa, stop! Time out!" she yelped as I took a blade from a nearby weapons rack and tossed it at the girl, respecting my warrior code by leveling the playing field. She inspected the weapon with a confused look on her face, as if not quite sure how to use the object. Her lack of skill, however, was not my problem. There was no honor in using my sword against an unarmed opponent, and by presenting her with a blade, I was now free to do battle to the best of my abilities.

"If this is your idea of keeping me out of danger, I really question your methods!" she panicked when I charged and my weapon clashed with her own.

"You _are_ out of danger," I corrected the girl as I put more force behind my sword.

"I beg to differ," she squeaked, nervously eyeing the sharp edge of my blade.

I am not sure how the female had mastered the strength, but somehow she managed to suddenly push me away, sending me stumbling back a few steps. We stood face to face, both of us waiting for the other to make a move. I gracefully ceased my onslaught, allowing the girl a brief window of opportunity to launch an attack and go down fighting. She did not appear eager accept my gesture though, and stubbornly maintained a defensive stance.

"The creature has left, my debt has been paid," I stated, lashing out at the intruder once more. She was just barely able to block my strike, her knees almost giving way on impact.

"Can't I charge you for interest?" she tried almost desperate, evading my blade by little more than a hair.

"No," I closed our discussion, grasping the hilt of my sword and focusing all my energy in one fell, well aimed swoop. I felt a brief resistance mid-swing and a pained cry reached my ears, confirming my suspicion that I had indeed finally managed to strike the girl.

The intruder staggered backwards, trembling all over and swaying on her feet. Her clothing seemed to possess the same odd qualities as those of the real Blade Dancers: it had not been torn by my blade, but did change color as her health deteriorated. One last strike would be enough to end this tiresome game of cat and mouse once and for all.

I raised my blade above my head and charged at the injured female to deliver the final blow, when she suddenly seemed to snap out of her shock and defiantly met my gaze.

"Wait just a darn freakin' minute, buddy!" she protested, anger evident in her voice. "You still owe me for getting you through that waterfall!"

I stopped to ponder her words for a moment, but failed to see any relevance they might held.

"The creature was after you, it did not have any quarrel with me to begin with," I dismissed her claim and continued to advance on her form.

"I would've ran away from that thing, if _someone_ had not grabbed my arm and put himself between us!" she argued fruitlessly while trying to put more distance between us. Unfortunately for the intruder, she found herself trapped against a wall with no possible hope of escape.

"My life was only endangered a second time, because you attracted the monster's attention," I reminded her, growing annoyed by her stubborn refusal to admit defeat. "I owe you nothing."

"Oh yes, you do!" she retorted angrily. "You were the one who got all paranoid back there! If you had just trusted me and let me go through the waterfall, I would never have started screaming!"

I blinked, realizing that this time, the intruder had a point. Though she had been the one to give away our position, our discovery might have been prevented, had I allowed her to pass through the watery curtain.

"Besides that…" she continued more calmly, "The Dahaka might not be the brightest demon in the box, but he isn't completely stupid either. He would've looked up eventually, it was only a matter of time."

I stopped moving and lowered my blade, not quite sure how to proceed from here. I had been a fool to stay on that terrace and challenge the monstrous demon, believing I would succeed where all other of the Empress' warriors had failed, and even endangering the female's life while doing so. Had it not been for her curious act of compassion, I would not have lived to see another day. Yet, had she not lead the demon to the Garden Tower? Had it not been her fault that the hideous beast crossed my path in the first place? The events as they had unfolded were the result of our combined actions, and I found it an impossible task to determine who of us was responsible for our current predicament.

"I suppose… that neither of us is solely to blame," I admitted, though reluctantly.

"Eh… what about a compromise?" she suggested sheepishly.

A compromise? Was such a thing even possible in this awkward situation? Though it had at least partially been her fault, I suppose I did indeed owe her for helping me pass through the liquid barrier. I had been saved from a particularly gruesome demise and it would only be fair of me to exert the same courtesy.

"Your death shall be swift and painless," I made what I thought was a very reasonable offer, but the girl fell over and twitched as she got back to her feet.

"That's NOT what I had in mind!" she shrieked as if I had just made the most indecent of suggestions.

"State your proposal then," I ordered impatiently.

"How about you leave me alone?"

"And what?" I pressed on, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, nothing… that was basically it."

This time, _I_ fell over. She could not honestly believe I would fall for _that_!

"That will not do," I narrowed my eyes, then turned to the waterfall. The female continued to protest, but I was no longer listening. Gazing at the sky, I saw that night had fallen. Stars shone brightly, the pale light of the artificial moon allowing even those without nocturnal vision to make out their surroundings.

I could not proceed to kill the girl against her wishes, that much was certain. Not only had she saved my life, but she had also provided me with extremely valuable information that would allow me to make use of the elusive Time Portals, as well as escape the demon during future confrontations, should our paths cross once more.

Yet, it was the same girl who had, though unwillingly, brought the beast to us. I also could not ignore the fact that she had invaded our island and thus should be killed, if I were to obey the commands of the Empress. She was my creator, my mistress… I could not bring myself to give up on my loyalty to her. Not fully at least…

An idea struck me and I realized there was a way I could keep my honor towards the intruder, yet carry out the orders given to me by the Empress of Time.

A compromise…

"At dawn I will be loyal to the Empress of Time, at dusk I will be loyal to you," I finally decided. "That is all I will offer."

The female gulped, but nodded in agreement, accepting my proposal. I walked towards the waterfall that separated the Portal Room from the outside world and prepared to assume my avian form, but not without turning around and voicing one last warning.

"I will leave you be then," I said, my eyes meeting hers. "But do not forget: when the sun rises, I _will_ kill you. It is only… a matter of time."

With those words I left her to contemplate the outcome of our first encounter, vowing that the second one would be our last.

I would make sure of that.


	3. Chess

**A/N:** Well, this one was long overdue for an update, so here you go ;)

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Chess**

Still in my avian form, I flew through the early morning sky, but the soothing cold winds did not manage to blow away the chaos that raged in my mind. I was not quite able to put my finger on it, but there was something about that strange female that fascinated me to no end.

No… perhaps 'fascinated', was not quite the right word to describe it. But neither was 'worried', 'puzzled' or any other term I could think of. The girl was unlike any intruder I had ever faced before. She had not been the first one to attempt swaying me into treason, but none of her predecessors had ever done so successfully… well, partly, that was. Our truce only stood as long as the sun's rays did not sweep the lands, but she had still accomplished what none before her could. And this… worried me greatly.

Granted, I had never been in the position where my foe became my friend, if only for a split second. There had been no reason for her to risk her life to save my own by throwing me my weapon, rather than escape and leaving me to the mercy of that black demon. Perhaps the girl herself was not unique, but rather the situation we had found ourselves in. Yes, this was the only feasible explanation. Not the intruder, but the circumstances were to blame for this unusual turn of events.

For some reason, this thought calmed my trouble mind. The female's survival had not been due to incompetence on my side. I was far superior in battle and the girl would _still_ die at my blade… just a little later than I had planned. I had not lost to her in combat: our fight had simply been postponed and the outcome would still be the same.

I flew around for several more hours and landed on a cliff, morphing back into my humanoid form. Though I preferred my avian shape, maintaining it consumed a lot of energy: energy best left to use in battle or escape from that wretched demon that had nearly claimed my life.

As if on cue, several shrieks echoed through the tower. Alarmed, I transformed yet again and flew in the direction of the sound. When I arrived, I only caught a glimpse of the foul creature dissolving into a black cloud. On the ground lay five axes and a mace, along with drops of blood, broken vases and other traces of battle. A weak groan caught my attention and my gaze shifted to a pile of fallen debris, which had suddenly started to move. A slender hand emerged and I grabbed it, freeing a wounded Blade Dancer from the rubble.

"Report," I ordered, steadying the woman on her feet.

"Demon…" she uttered, losing her balance and slumping down against a pillar. "Weapons had no effect… tried to stop it… killed everyone…"

"Why did it attack? Did you provoke it?"

"We were sleeping… I'm the only one who woke up in time… others never saw it coming…"

Another series of high-pitched screams reached my ears, but when I turned my head to focus, they had already been silenced. When I looked back at the Blade Dancer, only a small dagger and a cloud of sand now marked the place where she had lied down to rest.

I looked up at the sky, my thoughts turning to the black demon. I first believed it was hunting the intruder, only disposing of those who happened to be in its way. But now it seemed to be focused on us as well. What was this creature? Where did it come from? Why was it here?

The only thing I knew for sure, was that it had appeared along with the girl. Logic suggested that they were linked, and the female's demise would mean the end of the beast as well. But if this was true, than the demon should not desire her death, for it would be suicide.

I sighed and flew towards a tree, sitting down on a thick branch. The leaves shielded me from the sun's harsh rays, the cool shade a very enjoyable place to continue my musing. But as I relaxed and allowed my thoughts to wonder, a whirlwind of sand appeared next to me, turning into the mystical woman I knew as the Empress of Time.

"Empress!" I breathed, startled by her sudden appearance. She only rarely ventured outside her throne room, and when she did, we were forbidden to come near. Communication with the woman happened through a one-way telepathic link, and for her to come and see one of us face to face, was highly unusual.

"At ease, Crow Master," she spoke and I just nodded, not used to being able to reply.

"The intruder… I regret to inform you that our attempts to rid the Island of her presence have so far been unsuccessful," I told her, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I know, I have seen her not far from here."

I wanted to ask her if they had done battle, but realized it was a foolish question. With an entire army at her disposal, the Empress would never risk her own safety for a mere trespasser.

"Empress… if I may speak freely, why are you honoring us with your presence? You seem… disturbed."

"I had a vision… a most troubling one," she began grimly. "A dark, shadowy figure wielding a powerful blade. It was fast as lightning, its motions fluid and its movements without a sound. I used to have visions about the Prince of Persia taking my life, but now this dreaded creature has taken his place. Something has changed in the timeline… something that was not meant to be."

"The girl?"

"I see no other explanation," the Empress nodded. "She is from another world and her presence is disrupting both time and space. I believe it is she who will be the end of me."

"But the female is weak!"

Her eyes widened at my uncalled outburst. I was actually shocked myself: how dared I to question the Empress of Time?! Never… never in the thousands of years I had served her, had I done such a thing!

"I apologize, Empress," I lowered my head in shame. "I do not know what came over me."

I waited for her to explode in anger, to unleash her wrath upon me for my insolence. Instead, she stared blankly at me, her eyes glazed over. The Empress was acting most odd indeed… Suddenly, I had a vision of my own: I was standing on the shores of the Island, helping a wounded human male to sit up. The man was afraid, but I calmed him down, assuring the human I did not intend harm. I saw myself applying herbs to an injury on his leg, telling the man that they would speed up the healing process. He seemed more comfortable now and began to explain how his ship had been caught in a devastating storm, he the only surviving member of his crew. A blond woman in a royal blue dress walked up to us, smiling kindly at the startled human. She promised him that she would send him home, but that his memories of us would have to stay here, on the Island of Time…

"Crow Master!"

I nearly fell off the branch, snapping out of my daze. Why had I zoned out? Where had these blurred images came from? What was happening to me?!

"I am sorry, Empress, I was distracted," I quickly said, staring at the irritated woman.

"The intruder is close by, she will be here shortly. Do not allow her to pass."

"It shall be done," I nodded. "And the Prince?"

"I will take no chances, his demise is still your top priority."

She raised her arms, a whirlwind of sand swirling around her body.

"Do not disappoint me," she spoke in a warning tone before closing her eyes and disappearing as suddenly as she had arrived.

My orders were clear: the girl, although seemingly harmless, needed to perish. I found it hard to believe a frail creature such as herself was able to harm the Empress, but her visions had never deceived us before. They spoke of a dark and shadowy demon, destined to take her life. It could not be the same beast that was haunting the Garden Tower: the latter was far from graceful and did not wield a blade. Yet, I knew it somehow had to be connected to the girl, and thus she was to be eliminated as well.

As I was about to get up and resume my search, a high-pitched shriek caught my attention. The sound was coming from above, and through the leaves, I could see a figure jumping from the platform above me. She landed on the same branch I was sitting on, leaning with her back against my side without looking, foolishly believing I was part of the tree. I raised an eyebrow at the unsuspecting female, a bit taken aback my her unexpected appearance. When the Empress said the girl would be here shortly, I did not believe I was to take that statement literally…

Barely a second later, the environment lost its color and the black demon that was hunting us, jumped from the platform as well. It landed under our tree, the dense foliage providing enough cover to avoid detection.

It growled and stomped, angrily looking for the female, who suddenly tensed up when she noticed that her hiding place was not as abandoned as she had hoped.

Slowly she turned around, the blood draining from her face when her yellow eyes met my own.

"You know… we really ought to stop meeting like this," she whispered nervously in an attempt at conversation. Unfortunately for the female, I was not that easily distracted from my task. I narrowed my eyes at the girl and reached for my sword, telling her without words that this meeting would be our last. Her eyes widened in realization, but rather than accepting her fate, she met my gaze with defiance.

"Don't even think about it," she hissed loud enough for me to hear, but without alerting the demon below.

"The sun has risen," I stated, positioning my blade against her throat. My loyalty was with the Empress now, had I not warned the female about this? Surely she had not forgotten?

"The sun can sing and dance for all I care, but I _like_ my head and it's staying where it is!" she whispered, her voice angry, but trembling. The girl was terrified, and attempted to hide this from me with all her might. She was failing miserably, but I had to commend her for trying.

"Look, captain trigger-happy," she spoke, using various words I did not quite understand. "My battle skills might not win my any prizes, but I _do_ have a pretty good set of lungs. Want me to give you and our friend down there a demonstration?"

I was almost amused by her pathetic threat, yet annoyed by her stubborn attempts at delaying the inevitable. We both knew she was no match for me, why was it so difficult for her to accept this?

"Make a sound and the creature will find us," I retorted, pointing out the flaw in her plan. If I was to be found by the beast, she would perish as well. Strangely, the female seemed to have realized this already, yet did not withdraw her warning.

"And I should care… why?" she asked, glaring at me with angry eyes. "Either I scream and he'll kill me, or I keep my mouth shut and let you finish his dirty work. I'm dead no matter what, but if you think I'm just going to sit here and take it, you seriously need to get yourself a CAT-scan. Maybe you're lucky and you can take me out before I use my vocal cords, but then again, it's an awfully big risk to take. So… how about it? Do you feel lucky, punk? Well? Do you?!"

More words I did not know the meaning of, but I had gotten the gist of her statement… and realized the girl was right. Her own life was lost no matter what, but she still had the choice to take me with her if she so wished. One single scream would be enough to alert the beast below and seal both our fates.

But the question still remained… was the female prepared to make good on her threat?

Though perhaps not through friendly conversation, the intruder and I had learned much about each other's personalities, habits and quirks. I knew the skittish female was clumsy, drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame, and overall seemed to depend on luck rather than skill for survival. The female knew I was a warrior; swift, lethal and utterly without mercy, yet always respecting my opponent and trusting on my sense of honor to guide me in battle. She clenched her fists and bravely met my gaze, but I could see in her eyes that she knew death at my hands would be far kinder than allowing that vile creature to claim her life.

We continued to stare at each other and with every passing second, I grew more confident that the girl was bluffing. She would not make a sound, not even if I requested her to do so. She would not willing suffer at the claws of that beast, just to take me with her in her fall.

But I could not help but wonder…

What if I was wrong?

I valued the Empress' safety over my own, but now that Shahdee had met her fate, I was by far the strongest and most intelligent of her soldiers. Had I been facing the Prince, I would have no doubts about risking my own life to end his. But the girl was hardly dangerous, an annoyance rather than a threat. If this were a game of chess… would it be wise to sacrifice a queen in order to eliminate a pawn?

I sighed in defeat and lowered my blade, assuring myself I would have my victory later when the price would not be this high and odds would be in my favor once more.

"Where do we proceed from here?" I asked the intruder, but she sighed as well, apparently not knowing the answer.

Yes… where _would_ we proceed from here? The girl probably believed I was asking her about a way to leave this tree and escape the demon below. In reality, I was referring to my own confusing thoughts that plagued my mind. I should be disappointed that she had found a way postpone her demise, but for some reason, I was not… And this troubled me greatly.

What had she done to me?!


	4. Night

**A/N:** NOOOO!!! I scored 63 percent on a test! And I needed at least 65 percent to pass! AHH!!! Now I have to do it over next week and if I fail again… well, I don't know what will happen, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know either. Sigh… Oh well, at least I got this chapter out to cheer myself up. ;)

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**Chapter 4: Night**

We sat in the tree, each lost in our own thoughts, I looked down at the sepia hued leaves, indicating that the demon was still lurking below. It seemed like we were stuck here for the time being, thus I decided to strike up a conversation with the female. Strength and skill were both useful assets in battle, but true power came from knowledge. And she seemed to possess a lot of information on the shadowy beast.

"This foul creature…" I started after a long and uneasy silence. "What is it? It has been sweeping through the tower like a black shroud of death, consuming everyone who dares to cross its path. Neither axes, maces or blades can hurt it and all who have opposed it have failed."

The girl was not a born strategist, but seemed to realize that sharing any information she had would not only work in my favor, but in hers as well. I was the enemy of her enemy, and by far the lesser of two evils.

"He's called the Dahaka," she answered grimly, "and he's the guardian of the Timeline. He's after Prince because he messed around with the Sands of Time and was supposed to die. I'm also on his hit list since I don't belong in this world, but I have no idea why it's after _you guys._"

"It is… pursuing us?" I asked her, and she nodded, affirming my suspicions.

"It's not like the Dahaka to go on random killing sprees. It is understandable if he kills you because you happen to stand between him and his prey, but he seems to be targeting you guys specifically. Just now I saw him slaughtering a group of Silhouettes without even _looking_ in my direction."

"You seem to posses a great deal of knowledge about this 'Dahaka' and yet you say you are not even from this world? I do not understand," I said, honestly confused. How could the girl have learned so much about a world that was not even her own?

The intruder sighed deeply and began to speak. With growing amazement I listened to her story, an unbelievable tale about 'electricity', 'videogames' and moving images on a device she referred to as a 'TV'. I had to give the female some credit: what she lacked in battle skills, she certainly made up for in wild imagination.

"Your tale is… most odd," I frowned, narrowing my eyes at the girl. "Why should I believe it to be true?"

"Kerena."

My heart skipped a few beats when she spoke that single word. Kerena… the name of my trusty blade. I had never revealed it to a single soul, not even the Empress of Time. There was no possible way for her to know it, unless… unless her wild tale held some truth to it after all. Fascinating…

I wondered though: why had the girl told me this? Why had she spoken to me on such a personal level? About her home? Her origin? Her life? An attempt to befriend me and ward off her loneliness perhaps? She would fail…

I was about to point out to the foolish girl that as long as the sun was still shining, she would find no sympathy in my eyes, no kindness in my actions and no comfort in my words. But before I could open my mouth to speak, the tree shook violently, nearly knocking the female off our branch. We exchanged glances and both sweatdropped when we heard what sounded like… snoring?

"You've got to be kidding me," the intruder whispered when we peered through the foliage and saw the Dahaka resting against the tree, its bright white eyes closed.

"It appears he is asleep," I stated with mild surprise.

"I didn't even know he needed to do that… he could be faking it…" she looked sideways at me, arching an eyebrow. "Think we should call a truce and make a run for it?"

"A temporary alliance, until we are out of the creature's reach," I agreed to her suggestion and waited patiently for the intruder to make a move. However, she kept staring at me, and suddenly something in her mind seemed to click.

"Oh, hell no!" she protested. "_You_ go first!"

"You are a female," I tried to exert some courtesy, but the girl would have none of it. I gave up and with an exasperated sigh, let myself drop on a lower branch. I proceeded with caution, testing each branch carefully before resting my entire body on it. I was specifically created for flight and I estimated my weight to only be about one tenth of the girl's: her descent would pose more of a challenge.

With a soft thud, I landed on the grass, barely one step away from the creature. It appeared to be a deep sleeper, but I still felt extremely uncomfortable in its presence. I heard leaves rustle above me, indicating that the female had started her climb. It was nearly impossible to monitor her progress through the dense foliage and I could only hope that she would be able to keep her characteristic clumsy impulses at bay.

"Phew, that was a close… AAAAAHH!!!"

Then again… perhaps I was asking too much of the stumbling intruder. I froze when I heard the black demon shift its position and draw a shuddering breath: it was truly a miracle that it had not woken up.

"Make haste," I ordered the slow moving female. "I wish to resume our battle."

"Well, good things come to those who wait, now don't they?" she hissed annoyed, muttering various obscenities under her breath. Where those directed at me? How dared she!

"My patience is wearing thin, girl," I warned. "You are stalling!"

"Look, I'm kinda… (ow, dammit!) caught up at the moment… (let go already!) so if you would just… (stupid… -censored-!) stop distracting…"

Ah…_now_ I understood.

"You are trapped?" I voiced my suspicion, and the girl confirmed.

"Yeah, so if you would just (grunt) gimme a sec and…"

I quietly shook my head at her foolish stubbornness. I was not one to rush things, but the black demon was getting increasingly restless and it would not be long before it woke up from its slumber. There was no time to wait for the female to free herself, and I had no choice but to intervene. Though perhaps in hindsight… it would have been wiser to take my chances with the beast: hell truly has no fury like a woman scorned.

"I shall assist you," I announced and reached through the dense foliage for her leg.

"Hey, hold it!" I heard her protest. "What are you planning to… AAAARRGH! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! MY SHIRT IS STILL STUCK ON THE…!"

Oh, if only I had listened. If only I had paid head to her objecting cries. Instead, I found myself too impatient to wait any longer and yanked at her ankle, freeing the girl from her predicament. Unfortunately, I had done too well a job, and a lot more of the female was 'freed' then I originally had intended.

With a startled shriek, the intruder fell through the leaves and landed in my arms. Time itself seemed to crawl to a halt when I cast a glance at her form… and realized that a certain piece of her attire was still stuck in the tree… and the female had been wearing no second layer of clothing underneath.

This would not end well…

"Eee…eee…eee…" she uttered, her eyes wide with fear and shock.

"r-ruoy-y… e-e-p-pacse-e… t-tonna-ac…" the Dahaka stammered, equally stunned and unsettled as I was.

"Eee…eee…eee…eee…eee…eee"

"I…ah… I did not know…" I began, flustered. "I apolo…"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Before I could finish my apology, the girl let out an ear piercing shriek. With an embarrassed cry, she pushed me away and leaped out of my arms, running with a speed I had never seen her demonstrate before. The Dahaka ran as well, but in the opposite direction, saving his pursuit for another day. Needless to say, I was tempted to do the same and flee from these embarrassing images that kept flashing before my eyes. But I knew this was not an option.

Being a woman herself, the Empress had instilled her male servants with a proper respect for friends as well as foes of the opposite gender. This did not mean we were to spare female intruders, but certain… 'actions'… towards them were unforgivable and punishable by death. Women were to be treated with dignity, and stripping the girl of her garments was an unacceptable violation of that order. Accidental or not… I had erred and knew I needed to make amends.

I changed into my avian form and took to the skies. The sun was already setting and by the time I had caught up with the female, the first stars had already appeared. I quietly landed in front of her curled up form, looking down on her bare back. She did not try to flee, nor did she attempt to meet my gaze.

"If you've come to finish me off, don't bother," she muttered, her head buried behind her knees. "I'll just sit here and quietly die from embarrassment."

An odd sensation overtook me, and I briefly wondered if this was perhaps what humans referred to as 'guilt'.

"The sun has set," I attempted to put the girl at ease. "I have no quarrel with you."

The female looked up and shot me a venomous glare.

"Wow, nightfall already?" she spat, sarcasm dripping off her voice. "Gee, that would explain the sudden chill, or maybe it just feels cold because I'm… oh, I don't know… SHIRTLESS?!"

"It was not my intention to strip you from your garments," I apologized, reaching for my blade. I could immediately see the girl's eyes widening in fear, though I could honestly not fathom why. Night had fallen, had it not? Did she believe I would break my vow and attack her? In her current vulnerable state? Though I could understand the female's distrust, I could still not help but feel slightly insulted that she thought me capable of such a despicable act.

I took my sword and cut a strip of fabric from my own attire, offering it to the wary female.

"You may use this, I will not disgrace a woman."

She eyed me with suspicion and distrust, but hesitantly accepted the piece of cloth from my outstretched hands.

"Thanks," she said, casting me a sheepish smile. "Eh… would you mind… uhm… you know…"

I nodded and turned around, looking the other way while the female attempted to somewhat fix her attire. I waited until the rustling stopped and asked her if she was decent, turning around when the answer was positive.

The girl had cleverly wrapped the cloth I had given her around her chest, fastening it with a hairpin. To keep her now loose hanging hair from obstructing her vision, she had put most of it behind her ears and used her blade to cut the front into messy bangs. She seemed somewhat embarrassed, but in a strange way, I felt it suited her.

"Well… eh… I should get going," the girl started. "So…uh… see ya?"

I stayed quiet and patiently waited for the female to make a move. She looked at me almost puzzled, but eventually turned around and continued her trek. I followed in her footsteps, speeding up when the girl picked up the pace. Almost as if we were playing a game, the girl continued to walk faster every time I attempted to keep up, until she was running through the tall grass at top speed. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, looking at me as if I had multiple heads.

"_Why_ are you stalking me?!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. I nearly fell over and fought to suppress the urge to throw up my own hands as well. Empress… could the female's memory truly be this flawed?!

"At dawn my loyalty lies with the Empress, at dusk my loyalty lies with you," I explained to her once more, wondering if this time it would perhaps stick for longer than a few fleeting hours.

"Which basically means… you're going to stay at my side… whether I like it or not?" she asked and I nodded, grateful when something in the girl's mind finally seemed to connect.

I arched an eyebrow when the intruder yawned and briefly shook her head.

"Rough day," she answered my unspoken question. "You know, naked Dahaka chase and all."

"If you are tired, you should rest," I suggested, but she shot me a look as if I had just offered a most indecent proposal and kept trudging on with seemingly endless determination.

Patiently, I followed the stubborn female wherever she went. Her decision to continue her journey was strategically unsound in my eyes. She had only few precious hours until sunrise: would it not be wiser to rest now, while she was still under my protection? She would require sleep eventually, and if she was found unconscious during daytime, the consequences would be dire.

The intruder climbed a ladder and jumped to a platform where she found a pot of sand. The girl broke it, but to her visible dread, nothing happened.

"We are creatures of the sand as well as the flesh, and have some needs of the latter," I explained to the confused female as she fruitlessly tried to absorb the golden cloud… in the most unusual of ways.

"Needs… like sleep?" she asked drowsily, stumbling dangerously close to the edge of the platform. I quickly caught her, but with an indignant huff, I was pushed away.

"I can take care of myself," she protested while still swaying on her feet. "I'm not…eh…eh… what was I saying again?"

"You need to rest," I repeated when the girl threatened to loose her balance again.

"No, I'm pretty sure that wasn't it…" she slurred. "I was…eh…ahh… Oh, screw this, let me try eating some of that sand again, maybe you're just supposed to put it under your tongue."

The intruder stumbled over to the pot and sighed when she found it empty. With a sigh, she finally gave up on continuing her trek and sat down on the edge of the platform, staring ahead with a blank gaze. Not knowing what else to do, I followed suit and joined her, gazing quietly at the night sky. Though I knew the moon as well as the stars were nothing more than an illusion, they held a kind of magical beauty to them which the female seemed to appreciate as well.

We quietly sat there for a while, watching the shimmering stars in silence. The girl finally seemed somewhat at ease, until she suddenly twitched for no apparent reason.

"Hiccups," she said, but I paid no attention to her words. Instead, my gaze lowered and rested on her abdomen, where I had noticed a deep cut, surrounded by strange, glowing marks.

"What is that?" I asked curiously, pointing at the glowing gash.

"Long story," she yawned, apparently not very eager to elaborate. I decided not to press the issue, as the female seemed to have trouble to stay awake, let alone start a lengthy tale. Some other time, perhaps…

The intruder kept nodding off, her eyelids closing and then quickly opening again. She did not wish to fall asleep, but was fighting a battle she knew she could not win. Suddenly, her body went limp and I froze when I felt her head resting against my side. This was… most unusual... but not entirely unpleasant. The girl's body was warm, and the sound of her breathing was calming, making me feel quite peaceful for some reason. A voice in the back of my mind yelled at me that this was wrong, that I was not supposed to feel comfortable in the intruder's presence, nor was she supposed to feel comfortable in mine. But sleep began to claim me as well, and a thick haze seemed to wrap itself around my consciousness, smothering the inner sounds of protest.

"What is your name, girl?" I asked absentmindedly, not really sure why I wished to know.

"Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," the female answered, making no attempt move away from me.

"I do not have a name," I told her. "The Empress did not deem it necessary to give me one."

"Then I'll just call you Crow, if it's all the same," she suggested. "It might not win me any originality awards, but at least it beats 'hey, you!'"

She wished to give me a name? Her proposal was odd, but I supposed it could not do any harm to humor the girl. Besides that, the idea of having a name rather than a designation, did sound appealing.

"Incomplete, but sufficient," I nodded. "Now tell me yours"

"Alex. And if you say it is 'hardly fitting for a female', you _will_ get hurt."

"I shall try to remember," I said, suppressing an amused grin. The girl yawned again and I looked sideways at her as her eyelids began to close.

"Are you tired?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"… yeah," she mumbled, finally giving up.

"Sleep then," I ordered, but the female had already drifted off into unconsciousness.

I looked quietly at the girl, fighting off the heavy shroud of sleep that threatened to take me over as well. I had been degraded from a warrior, to a guardian, to a living pillow. And I was _accepting_ it!

I would have to make sure our next encounter by daylight, would be our last. I did not know if it was intentional, but the female was doing something strange to me… and I found myself unable to stop her.


	5. Dream

**A/N:** Warning! Cheesy italic dream sequence ahead! Proceed with caution and make yourself some popcorn while you're at it.

Enjoy!

P.S. This chapter is a bit short, but the next one will be longer ;)

* * *

**Chapter 5:**** Dream**

"_What is that?"__ I blinked, pointing at something that looked like a pink, wriggly grub with a disproportional large head._

_The blond haired woman next to raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat offended._

"_Not 'what', Crow Master, 'who'," she corrected me. _

_Kaileena turned back to the swirling sands in front of her, a window she had created for me to cast a glance at her home world. "That girl is my daughter."_

_I peered through the vortex, shaking my head._

"_Impossible. Forgive me Empress, but she does not look anything like you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You reach up to my chest, while that female hardly reaches my knee. The girl is too short!"_

_The woman looked at me quizzically, then burst out in hysteric laughter._

"_She's just a toddler, Crow Master," she choked, wiping a tear from her blue eyes. "She will grow taller over time."_

"_Why have you made her that way?" I asked, honestly confused. "Do you not wish to send me to your world one day to protect her? Would my task not be less complicated if she remained small and easy to hide?"_

_Kaileena smiled and shook her head._

"_I did not create her like I created you, Crow Master. You were crafted by magic, directly from the Sands of Time. She grew inside my own body when I was still human, the natural way."_

"_Inside your body?" my eyes widened in horror at the thought. "How did she get there!?"_

_I had expected her to answer, but for some reason the woman's face flushed bright red, a sweat drop appearing next to her temple._

"_Eh… I do apologize, but I have business to attend to. Another time perhaps…"_

I jolted awake, unsettled by the strange dream. I rarely dreamed, and when I did, it was usually about the Prince of Persia. Those dreams were not even my own… they were of the Empress and shared with all of her creatures. But this nightly vision was mine… I just knew it was. Unfortunately, it did not make much sense: who was that strange woman? And why did I address her with the title of Kaileena?

Something began clawing at the back of my mind, memories like caged animals, trying to break free and reach the surface. But as swiftly as the odd sensation overcame me, it died down again. Yes… most curious indeed.

"Hnngg…"

I froze when I heard someone groaning beside me. The girl! She was still here!

"Isra… leave me alone…" she mumbled, frowning in her sleep. "I won't let you…"

Apparently, I was not the only one plagued by unsettling nightly visions. I glanced at the horizon, the sun's first rays only moments away from sweeping across the land.

"Girl, wake up," I ordered sternly, shaking her shoulders. "Your time is running low. Awaken now."

The girl grumbled, swatting away my hands and curling up against my side. For a moment I believed she was attempting to deceive me, but I knew the female better than that: she was not one to feign weakness. In fact, she constantly attempted to appear more fierce than she really was. No, it seemed that the girl was still in the land of Morpheus and, unfortunately, had no intention of leaving.

"Intruder," I tried again, though for some reason not speaking as loud as I could. "The sun will rise in less than twenty seconds. It would be wise to wake up and start running immediately, before our alliance ends."

I looked down at the female, who's eyelids had not moved the slightest. It had been a wise move on her part to let me watch over her while she rested: I suspected that she could have been attacked by ten Dahakas at the same time, and still sleep through it. I sighed, sweatdropping when she grabbed my arm and mumbled something incoherent in her slumber.

"How in Empress' name did you manage to get _this_ far without meeting your demise?" I asked, though not expecting an answer. Not even the most skilled and cunning of intruders had made it further than the Fortress Entrance, but this foolish one had stumbled her way into the very heart of the Garden Tower, having escaped death more times than I could count. The girl was truly an enigma.

The first rays of daylight shone on my face, blinding me for a split second. The female twitched when the light struck her closed eyes, but did not awaken.

I glanced at the intruder, not knowing what to do. I had tried to wake her from her slumber and give her a head start, but all my attempts had failed. Killing enemies in their sleep was below me, but I had done everything in my power to give the intruder a fair chance to either flee or defend herself. The sun had risen, and if the female was unable to wake up in time despite my best efforts, then she simply left me no other choice.

I reached for my sword, but hesitated to grab the handle. Something about this did not feel right, as if I was about to make a horrible mistake. I tried to ignore the unsettling sensation and unsheathed the weapon, poising to swiftly strike her neck: I doubted the girl would even feel it.

I had tried to wake her up and grant her a chance to flee, even though I could easily have waited quietly for the sun to rise. By doing so, I had been extremely lenient: more than the intruder rightfully deserved. There was no reason to spare her any longer… so why was I finding it impossible to move my blade?

I looked at the female, at my sword, back at the female again. Part of me wished she'd wake up, and part of me dreaded that moment.

The blade hovered close to her neck for several more moments, until I lowered it with a sigh. It would end… but not now. Not in such an honorless way. We both deserved better than this.

I re-sheathed my weapon and picked up the girl, who remained sleeping in my arms. I flew through the Tower, carefully scouting the area for signs of movement: I did not wish to be seen by other servants of the Empress. They would surely try to kill the intruder, thwarting my own plans to do so.

Anger boiled up within the very core of my being at the idea: if the girl was to die, it would my at my hands, and mine alone!

I stopped dead in my tracks and nearly dropped the female when that thought entered my mind. Why did I care who would land the fatal blow? Was her demise not a shared goal? I realized that I had become possessive of the girl, perhaps even bordering on the edge of obsessed. But it was not something I could help: it was as if she could tear her way into the very depths of my soul, exposing memories long forgotten and unleashing a torrent of foreign emotions that were slowly driving me mad.

I entered a Portal Room, alarmed when not even the cold watery curtain could wake the sleeping intruder. Her breathing and body temperature were normal, and the girl showed no other signs of illness. She was beginning to grow restless though, and it almost seemed as if she was trapped in an unpleasant dream and unable to escape to the waking world.

"Thank whoever it is who holds you captive in your slumber," I spoke, though knowing my words would fall on deaf ears. "For it is they who saved your life."

With that I left the safety of the shielded chamber and took to the skies, granting the intruder one last chance to wake up and get a head start before the chase was on once more.

I would surely regret this…


	6. Demon

**A/N:** This one was long overdue for an update! I'm also working on the next chapter of "Generations", but I'm having some trouble deciding on the plot. I might need another week or so.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 6: Demon**

I flew through the morning sky, enjoying the cool breeze on my skin. Unwillingly, my thoughts kept returning to the girl. I had left her in the Portal Room to rest, even though the sun had already risen.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the confusing feelings. I should have killed her… I should have killed her many times over by now. Yet, every time the opportunity presented itself, I thought of an excuse to delay landing the final blow. Why? She was an intruder and my orders were clear. I could have finished it back at that platform: the female was sleeping peacefully against my side, and her death would have been a swift and perhaps even painless one, had I not wavered.

Why did I hesitate?

It should have ended there, I realized, trying to forget how comfortable I had been that night. For reasons unknown to me, I was finding it harder and harder to draw the line between my loyalty to the girl and the Empress of Time. I even caught myself being a bit protective of the female and actually growing fond of her presence.

I slowed down to a halt, gathering my thoughts. I had been a fool to grant the intruder mercy, even if she had been sleeping and unable to defend herself. I was beginning to become attached to the girl and feared that if I did not end this game of cat and mouse soon, I might even grow too soft to finish what I had started.

Then again, just who was I trying to fool here; I was already no longer the ruthless warrior I used to be. Far from it…

What had she done to me!?

I narrowed my eyes, unsheathed my sword and turned around, flying back to the Portal Room as fast as I could. I had made a grave mistake, but perhaps there was still time to correct it. I touched down on the soft grass and, after changing into my avian form, dashed through the watery curtain. I assumed my humanoid form again and drew my blade, looking around for the sleeping girl. Unfortunately, it seemed my window of opportunity had already closed. The female had woken up during my absence and had likely past through the time portal. I was about to do the same, when I thought of something:

The intruder wished to activate Garden Tower, did she not? To do that, she had to make her way to the activation mechanism, which meant I could predict her course and wait for her to come to me.

I exited the magical chamber and entered a nearby passage, taking a shortcut to the next Portal Room. The girl was slow and could not have gotten very far: I doubted she had already passed through here.

I entered the chamber and traveled from the future to the present, or from the present to the past, depending on whether you looked from my perspective or that of the intruder: time travel was a complicated matter indeed.

Wasting no time, I assumed my avian form and took to the skies. There was more than one route to the activation mechanism, but all possible paths crossed each other at a specific platform and there was no way around. If the girl wished to activate the Tower, she had no choice but to pass trough there, where I would be waiting to cut her journey short.

After a few hours of flight, the platform came into view. Two keepers were already patrolling, both of them turning their attention to me when I landed and shape shifted back to my natural form.

"Report," I ordered briefly, not wasting my time on pleasantries.

"No sign of the Prince or the girl," one of them answered and I caught myself letting go of a breath I never knew I was holding. After all we had been through, the thought of someone else finishing her off had become unbearable. If she were to die at hands other than mine, I knew I would never find peace again.

"The Prince has been sighted in the Clock Tower," the other Keeper added. "Our brothers will deal with him shortly."

"And if his friend wishes to activate the Garden Tower, she will have to pass through here first," the first Keeper boasted, sharpening his axe.

"No need," I said to them. "You will leave and assist your brothers, I shall wait here and dispose of the girl myself."

The Keepers looked at each other confused, but even though they were not very bright, they knew better than to disobey my orders. After a quick nod they left for the Clock Tower, leaving me behind to guard the platform.

It was only a matter of time…

* * *

Thirty minutes had passed since I first set foot on the platform. There was still no sign of the intruder, though something told me she was close. It was almost as if I could feel her presence, her eyes pricking in my neck and watching my every move.

I waited patiently, but part of me began to voice doubt: what if the female was faster than I had anticipated? What if she had already passed through this part of the Tower? It was not that big a feat to outwit the Keeper guards, and as time continued to tick away, the doubting voices in the back of my mind began to grew louder and nearly convinced me to leave… until I suddenly heard a tired yawn.

The sound had been quiet, ever so quiet… but not quiet enough to pass as a figment of my imagination.

Silently, I turned around and drew my blade when I spotted a few black hairs fluttering behind a tree. Had she been standing there the whole time? Or had she just arrived and did I somehow fail to detect her? Oh well, soon it would no longer matter.

I flew up as to not alert the girl and touched down behind her when she stole a glance at the platform, no doubt questioning herself where I had gone. Farewell, little one…

I raised my blade above my head and prepared to strike, when suddenly something in the female's mind seemed to click. With wide eyes she whirled around and jumped out of the way just in time to evade my sword.

"Well, good afternoon to you too!" she protested loudly when I raised my blade again and continued the assault. I had lost the element of surprise, but I could easily claim victory without: it would just take a little longer.

With deadly precision I attacked, but almost as if acting on instinct, the female managed to block every single one of my blows.

"The sun has…" I started, but the intruder rolled her eyes and interrupted me.

"Yeah, yeah… sunrise, loyalty, die by my hand, blahblahbla, I know the drill," she sighed and I could have sworn I heard a hint of disappointment.

We continued to fight, but the girl seemed distracted by something. She was less alert than usual and her combat style was sloppy, even for her standards. Suddenly, she nearly fell over and blood rushed to her head for no apparent reason.

"Girl, your face is red," I stated, curious. "Why is that? Are you ill?"

"I…ah…ehm…I dunno…" she blabbered, but I arched an eyebrow: the female was definitely hiding something.

The intruder raised her weapon and boldly charged, but tripped over a rock and fell flat on her face. I sweatdropped when she got up and reached for her dropped sword, but grasped the blade rather than the handle.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" she yelped, panicking when she noticed a shallow cut on her hand. "Medic! Medic! Woman down!"

"You, girl, are pathetic," I shook my head, earning myself an insulted scowl.

"Screw you, I'm bleeding!" she complained. "Do you have any idea how sharp those things are?!"

"Yes," I answered, drawing my own sword. Enough of this nonsense: the intruder was outmatched and it was time I claimed my victory once and for all.

"Defend yourself," I ordered before charging one final time. One swing was all it took to startle the girl and make her lose her balance. She staggered and fell flat on her back, but I did not grant her a chance to get back on her feet.

Before she could get her bearings, I moved in with lightning speed and prepared to sever her head from her shoulders. However, as I was about to bring down my sword, she swiftly raised her own and our blades clashed once more.

However, there was one important difference between this standoff and our previous ones: rather than standing firmly on her legs, the girl was now lying down on her back, which meant she had to rely solely on her arms for strength, which was not enough to push me away. Rolling to the side was not an option either: in order to move, the female would have to lower her defense for at least three full seconds, plenty of time for me to strike.

The intruder seemed to realize the graveness of her situation and looked up at me with wide, fear filled eyes.

"Can't we settle this some other way?" she squeaked, attempting to barter. "A game of chess? Mahjong? Dance Dance Revolution?"

I shook my head, dismissing her plea.

"This ends here," I decided, putting more force behind my blade. The girl gasped and pushed back with all her might, but found herself fighting a battle she could not win.

With every passing second, my blade closed in further on her face. The female continued to struggle fiercely, but I could see in her eyes that she knew all hope was lost. Apparently she had decided to go down fighting, and I was not sure whether to commend her for this, or berate the girl for her stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

I was not given the time to choose: the intruder had closed her eyes shut, but suddenly, they snapped open and I was thrown back by a violent explosion. I was send hurtling trough the air and crashed on the stone tiles of the terrace.

I got up just in time to see the girl hovering above the ground, engulfed in a howling whirlwind of sand. Strange symbols spread from the wound on her abdomen, her skin turning dark purple, nearly black. Her hair floated up in wisps of black smoke and a high-pitched cackle reached my ears, half a second before I suddenly found myself impaled on a sword that looked like an exact replica of my own blade. I could barely blink, before the feminine demon freed her weapon from my chest and slashed at me again. The creature was extremely vicious, moving like liquid quicksilver and attacking with deadly precision.

**"Doesn't feel too great, huh? To be on the receiving end of that sword?"** she hissed in an unearthly voice, before striking me again. I managed to block her, but the demon quickly broke through and took a swing at my neck, which I barely evaded. But before I did, our eyes met… and for a brief second, I could see another, familiar entity trapped behind the shroud of madness and hate.

"ALEX!" I called out, in a last ditch effort to break through the creature's spell. It felt awkward, since Shahdee and the Empress had been the only ones on the Island of Time to carry names rather than designations. Using the first was not something I was accustomed to.

The minute I had addressed her with the girl's name, the demon blinked, seizing her attack.

**"Hey…"** she uttered, dazed. **"What's… what's going on?"**

I decided to take no chances and charged, punching the female swiftly in the head and sending her crashing into a tree. The blow seemed to make her come back to her senses, and she slowly got up again, looking bewildered at her new form.

**"No way…"** she mumbled, still inspecting her changed body while I did the same. I had seen little more than a dark blur after she transformed, but now that she had stopped attacking me, I finally got a chance to take in her new appearance… and my eyes widened when I realized why her clothes and blade looked familiar.

"You are mocking me," I said in a low voice, balling my fists. I was the only one of my kind, unworthy of being re-created. The Empress had never stated so out loud, but I could find no other explanation other than that my design was apparently a fluke. The girl's new attire was a painful reminder of my existence as a flaw, something that was never meant to walk the face of the Earth. A low blow… for which the wench would pay dearly.

**"What do you… _NO!_"** she protested hastily when she saw the anger in my eyes. **"Look, I know it looks like I'm playing some kind of cruel joke on you, but I'm really not, though you might think I am and… hey wait a minute, why the hell am I apologizing?! This is all your fault!"** She suddenly exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at me. **"You're the one who infected me with the sands of time!"**

"Explain yourself, girl," I warned, narrowing my gaze and drawing my blade to end this travesty, but the demon just scowled at me and pointed at the glowing gash on her stomach.

**"Does THIS ring a bell?!"**

I looked at the strange wound, and suddenly my memories came rushing back to me. That injury… she had suffered it at my blade! But could it have caused… was that even possible?

**"That's right,"** she answered my unspoken question. **"Two people entered that Portal Room, but three people emerged. Somehow, the sand from your sword gave shape to my so-called dark side. She even has a name and at the moment, is trying to convince me to rip off your head and laugh evilly while doing so."**

"Her name is Isra," I nodded, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

**"Yes, her name is… HOW THE HELL DID YOU KNOW THAT?!"** she exclaimed, shocked.

"You kept saying it while you slept," I explained, and blood rushed to her face once more when she repeated my words. How peculiar…

"I… did not know such a thing was possible," I apologized, realizing it was my fault her dark side had awakened and became sentient. I had given life to a dark and shadowy creature… the being that I now knew would be the Empress' downfall.

**"Well, now you do,"** she huffed, putting her hands on he sides. **"So, how do you plan to fix it, huh?"**

"We will do battle," I answered and her jaw dropped, the female staring at me in disbelief.

**"I see your proposition for even more violence and raise you a DO YOU HAVE EGG YOLK FOR BRAINS?!"** she shrieked, throwing up her hands in desperation.

"The sun will not set for another two hours," I stated, raising my blade. "I will rid the Island of your presence before then, and perhaps the Empress' vision will not turn into a reality."

**"Vision?!"** the girl yelped as she blocked my attack and pushed me away with surprising ease. Her strength had increased tremendously, to the point where I feared it might even surpass my own, were she to successfully master it.

"The Empress came to us with a dreadful message," I told the desperate intruder. "Ever since you arrived, she has been experiencing frightening dreams. Visions of a dark creature, a shadowy figure that would one day take her life. As long as my loyalty lies with the Empress of Time, I will not allow this to come to pass."

**"Do I LOOK like a killer to you!?"** she protested as I continued to advance on her form. **"Isra might be a total nutcase, but she's _not_ in charge here! _I_ control this body, and don't want to hurt the Empress! I don't want to hurt anyone unless it's self-defense! I just want to go home!"**

"Perhaps you indeed do not wish her harm," I said, attempting to reason. "But if the timeline commands it, the Empress will still die by your hand if I do not prevent you from reaching her. You cannot change your fate. No one can."

Our eyes met again, hers filled with a fire that burned a permanent image in my memory.

A warrior…

**"Maybe you're right, Crow,"** she spoke, taking on a fighting stance. **"Maybe my little road trip through the tower is pointless and there really is no use in fighting fate. But you know what? I sure as hell can try!"**

Before I could react, she charged and struck me with her own Kerena blade.

The blow was powerful and enough to awaken my survival instinct, which prompted me to change into my avian form. The birds flew away and landed on a higher platform, where I regained control and changed back to my normal state.

I looked down at the girl, who shot me an icy glare before turning around and running away, disappearing from my view. She could have easily pursued me, finish me off when I was weak. In her current state, her strength, speed and battle skills were far superior to mine and the female knew this. Yet, she chose to leave me be, and I was at loss as to why. Was I not, with the exception of the Dahaka, her greatest foe? Or did she simply no longer consider me a threat?

I looked at the setting sun, the first starts already appearing in the darkening sky.

Or perhaps… could it be that she was growing fond of our nightly meetings as well?


	7. Kiss

**A/N:** I'm back! Sorry for the long, long absence, but I had some things I needed to deal with and had to push my creative endeavors to the backburner for a bit. Thanks for not giving up on me XD

* * *

**Chapter 7: Kiss**

It had been over two hours since my last battle with the intruder, and only now was I slowly recovering from my injuries. In her altered state, both her strength and her skill had increased tenfold and she could have easily killed me where I stood. I could have escaped death in my avian form two times, maybe three. But even _my_ energy would have ran out at that point and the intruder knew this. And yet she left me be… was I no longer considered a threat?

No, that was not it. The female _feared_ her demonic alter-ego, I could see it in her eyes. The entity was not an ally, but merely a parasite, preying on the energy of its host. Avoiding me in her old form, was a far more desirable option than destroying me in her new one.

I laid down on the grass and looked at the darkening sky, the first stars already appearing. They reminded me of the girl somehow… then again, _everything_ seemed to remind me of her. Hey eyes, her smile, her voice… none of them I could ban from the chaos that were my thoughts. Something was most definitely amiss.

Tilting my head, I glanced at my blade. It was no longer unique, its twin sister wielded by the intruder's darker half.

Isra…

Her creation had been my fault, and the blood of the Empress would be on my hands if I allowed that menacing demon to live. A dark and shadowy creature, brandishing a sword… it _had_ to be her. I saw no other possible suspect.

She had to be destroyed.

Rather than the anticipation of battle, I felt my stomach turn at the thought: to destroy Isra, would mean to destroy the girl. They were two sides of the same coin and one could not exist without the other. Isra's demise would not bother me the slightest, but Alex…

I looked up at the night sky again and sighed. Where I once longed for morning to come, I now dreaded the sun's first rays. New emotions were making themselves known, emotions I never knew I had. And they left me completely and utterly confused.

Was she feeling the same?

I clenched my eyes shut, trying to get rid of the fog that seemed to wrap itself around my mind. I found it increasingly difficult to think clearly. The only person besides myself that I had ever cared about, was the Empress of Time. To have someone else occupying my thoughts, was disturbing to say at least. Forbidden thoughts of mutiny surfaced and then vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving a trail of confusion and doubt in their wake. What was this… feeling? Did it have a name? Was it even real?

A loud roar suddenly snapped me out of my musings. I flew up just in time to dodge a black tendril and scowled viciously at its owner, who had falsely believed I was asleep.

"Wretched demon!" I exclaimed furiously, drawing my blade. "Why must you haunt us even at night? Stalking through the darkness like a common thief, stealing the life from your prey when it slumbers? Have you no honor!?"

The beast roared again and lashed out at me with a jagged tentacle, sufficiently answering my question. I cut the tendril with my sword, the beast howling in surprise and pain. It would only take a few seconds for the creature to regenerate, but it was stunned long enough for me to put some distance between us.

Wasting no time, I dashed away, the demon following in hot pursuit. Being chased by this infernal creature was both a blessing and a curse: as long as its focus was on me, the girl would be safe, wherever she was. But I was far less agile than the nimble female and it would take more than mere speed to shake this beast.

Flying across the open planes, I made sure to avoid areas with dense growth: they were perfect for hiding, but my previously mentioned lack of agility would slow me down too much. Though nearly two times my size and far more bulky, the Dahaka's maneuverability nearly rivaled that of the girl, and it would hold a clear advantage. My only hope of losing the beast, was to find a body of water, and _fast_.

"Delaes si etaf ruoy!"

Suddenly without notice, I was hoisted into the air, a black tendril wrapping itself tightly around my waist. With an insulted shriek, I quickly grabbed my blade and severed the offending tentacle, but the beast would not relent and I had to fight like a wild animal to stay out of its gaping maw. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw it: a portal room! I hacked away at the tendrils for one last time, before freeing myself and swiftly headed for the waterfall in my avian form.

"Hey, keep it down out there!" I heard someone protest. "Some people are trying to slee…"

At that moment, I plowed through the watery curtain and crashed into… well, _something_. I was too dazed from my battle with the Dahaka and the effects of the water to properly take in my surroundings. Whatever I had landed on though, was warm, soft and quite comfortable. Surely it would not pose a problem if I rested here for a moment…

With effort, I changed back into my normal form, now vaguely aware that the 'something' was actually a 'somebody', and a female one at that.

"The Dahaka…" I mumbled weakly, my head still spinning. "It has…"

"Uhm… Crow?"

"Yes?"

"GET OFF ME!!" a familiar voice suddenly shrieked beneath me, and I instantly came back to my senses, a split second before a pair of furious eyes met my own and I was roughly shoved aside. Seventeen time portals this Tower counted, and the girl had to seek shelter into this one! Changeable or not, fate most certainly had a curious sense of humor.

Before I could regain my composure, a loud roar suddenly echoed through the magical chamber, the Dahaka throwing an aggravated fit on the ground on the other side of the watery curtain. With a shrill yelp, the girl flew up and latched onto my arm, staring in fear at the monstrous beast. A strange sensation overcame me, heat rushing to my head and confusing my senses. One half of me wanted to push the intruder away, the other wanted to grab hold and never let go. Where I had been barely able to handle her memory, her touch seemed to overload my system, corrupting my logic and crippling my judgment. I had vowed to protect her only at night, but now other considerations entered my mind. Plans of mutiny and suggestions of treason: surely the Empress would not miss…

My eyes widened in shock at the outrageous thought, which I quickly suppressed. The very idea…!

The Dahaka growled one last time and then disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. I took a deep breath and looked sideways at the female who was still clinging to my limb.

"Girl…"

"Yeah?"

"Let go."

"Eep!" she yelped, her face flushing bright red. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

I raised an eyebrow at the female's odd behavior, but dismissed it, since it was my own behavior I should be worrying about. Whether she had affected me this way intentionally or not, I could not let it show. To do so would be a display of weakness; one her darker side would no doubt seek to exploit.

An uneasy silence filled the room and to break it, I started sharing the events of the past several hours. I told her about the Dahaka, how it had chased me here and was now even trying to claim its prey in their sleep. The girl did not seem to listen though, as her eyes had glazed over and she was staring blankly into space. Worry seemed to be etched on her face, which was still a bright shade of red. Was this normal for her species, even when she had turned into a creature of the sands?

"Eh… sorry," the girl suddenly asked sheepishly. "Were you saying something?"

"300 of us have…" I started over, but trailed off when she seemed to lose focus yet again. She was acting most peculiar, even for her standards.

"Are you not well?" I asked, at which the female jumped, startled for no apparent reason.

"I'm fine!" she quickly yelped. "Really!"

I did not believe her, but decided not to further push the subject and began my tale once more.

"300 of us have fallen at the hands of that demon. It has no honor and will not even hesitate to strike its victims while they are asleep."

"In… their sleep?" she asked with a mixed tone of worry and surprise.

"Yes," I affirmed. "It is detestable."

"Any idea why?" she cocked an eyebrow. "I mean… did you guys fool around with the timeline?"

"Perhaps indirectly, we have," I nodded absentmindedly, the face of the Persian prince briefly emerging from my memories. I had not seen him since our encounter at the Fortress Entrance, and I realized that his absence had not gone without consequence. Yes, of course… it all made sense now.

"You told me… this world… is nothing but a game in yours?" I asked and the girl confirmed.

"Yes, but I haven't finished it though," she shook her head. "I only made it halfway through this tower."

"You controlled the game, but your avatar was the Prince, am I correct?"

"Yup! He used to be my own little puppet on a string," the intruder said with a fox-like grin, but I could not be bothered with her attempt to make light of the situation. There was one last question I had to ask, on last question that I dreaded the answer to.

"Tell me…" I started with great difficulty, "when encountered… what happened to… us…?"

"Well, assuming the game didn't glitch on you, really cool rock music started playing and…" the female trailed off, visibly uncomfortable. She avoided my gaze, fidgeting nervously as she finally answered my question. "Uhm… well… there wasn't really a stealth option… so… a player had no choice but to… you know…"

"I understand," I nodded, letting out a breath I did not knew I was holding. So it was true then… my suspicion had been confirmed. But what now? How to proceed from here? Were all of us, friend and foe alike, fated to die?

"For what it's worth…" she said with a sheepish smile. "It took me three hours and a bazillion tries to get past you. In gameplay terms, that's only one step away from eternity."

"This explains it then," I sighed, too distraught to be affected by her attempt to comfort me.

"What do you mean?"

"Girl, how many of us have fallen by your hand?"

The intruder frowned, counting on her fingers.

"Lemmesee… I pushed one Raider into a spikepit, though he did hold a knife against my neck so you can't really blame me for that… Then there was another Raider, though technically I wasn't the one to cut off his head… Oh, and I think I killed a bird. That's about it, I guess… Wow, I suck…"

I suppressed the urge to smile wryly at the girl's list of victories, which was so short it could easily have fitted on the handle of my blade.

"If the timeline had not been disrupted, we most likely would have met our demise at the hand of the Prince of Persia," I explained to the confused female. "Instead, you got send to our world and entered this tower with the intent of saving him the effort."

"I took over this part of his quest, but without the killing… And now the Dahaka is after you to finish the job," she stated, her voice hoarse. She was visibly upset, even though the creature had already been after her from the beginning. Was she concerned about our fate? About… mine?

Why did I even care what she thought?!

"SHUT UP!!" The girl suddenly screamed, and I started, looking at her with wide eyes. What had I said that upset her this much?

"I wasn't talking to you," she sighed as if reading my mind, grasping her head.

"Can you control her?" I asked, the demon's chilling smirk dancing before my eyes. I silently wished neither of us had to face that vile creature again, but the girl's saddened expression was enough to dash that small spark of hope. It was not that I feared my own death… but for some reason I was slowly beginning to fear hers.

The intruder closed her eyes shut and groaned, shaking her head. Something else was going on, and whatever it was, the female was clearly suffering.

"Girl, you _are_ ill," I stated, not quite sure what to do. Something was wrong with her, and I was determined to find out what: it if was contagious, it would certainly explain a lot.

I put my hand on her forehand to check her body temperature, and immediately she calmed down, her eyes snapping open. Her gaze met my own, and as if under some sort of spell, I found myself unable to look away. The Dahaka, the Prince, the Empress… all that had seemed so incredibly important before, simply fell away and ceased to matter as I continued to gaze into those hypnotizing eyes.

"Crow?"

"Yes?"

The girl leaned in closer…

She opened her mouth to speak…

And suddenly… my world came to an end.


End file.
